Sports briefs

Another Olympic champion, Maurice Greene, easily won the men's 100 in 9.96.

Jones and Greene broke meet records.

Jones, who won three gold medals and two bronzes at the Sydney Games, trailed slightly at the start before accelerating over the final 50 meters to run her second race under 11 seconds this year.

The U.S. star seems to be peaking at the right time, with one month to go before the World Championships in Edmonton.

''I am pleased with my race, my time and my evening,'' Jones said.

Zhanna Pintusevich of Ukraine, a former 200 world champion who came close to upsetting Jones earlier this season, finished in 10.96, with Chandra Sturrup of Bahamas third in 10.99.

Greene, who holds the world record of 9.79, took the lead with his powerful stride early in his race and crossed the line well ahead of Tim Montgomery, who timed 10.04.

''I didn't think about my knee here,'' said Greene, who has been nursing a sore left knee. ''I don't think about it any more. In fact it's getting better and better.''

Bernard Williams completed the 1-2-3 U.S. finish in 10.15.

Lewis accepts King offer for Rahman rematch

NEW YORK -- Charges and counter charges flew back and forth Friday concerning negotiations, or lack thereof, for a rematch between heavyweight champion Hasim Rahman and Lennox Lewis.

At first there was a report out of London that Lewis said he would accept promoter Don King's $12.5 million offer for a rematch with Rahman provided he gets certain guarantees.

By late afternoon, however, Lewis said in a statement released through Main Events, his New Jersey-based co-promoter, that, ''although there have been press reports of a $12,500,000 offer to me by Don King that offer was completely bogus.''

''I have no problem with Don King promoting my rematch with Hasim Rahman on Oct. 6, provided he backs up his offer of $12.5 million to buy out my promotional rights with certain guarantees within the week,'' Lewis had said earlier Friday.

King countered by saying his offer meant Lewis has ''nothing to do with it but show up at the press conferences and the fight.''

This and that

Draft pick Loren Woods might play in Europe next season instead of signing with the Minnesota Timberwolves. After working out for Timberwolves coaches for the first time Friday, the 7-foot-1, 245-pound Woods, taken out of Arizona in the second round with the 46th overall choice, said several European teams have contacted him. ''I'm just as serious about (Europe) as I am about signing a contract here,'' Woods said. ''I would fit right in in an organization like this, but I've got to do what's best for me. Right now I don't really know what that is yet.'' ... Sylvain Guichard, an assistant tennis coach at Mississippi State for the past six seasons, has been named men's tennis coach, university officials said Friday. Guichard takes over the tennis post left vacant when 17-year veteran Andy Jackson took the Florida job on June 19. ... Utah Jazz rookie DeShawn Stevenson pleaded innocent Friday to the statutory rape of a 14-year-old girl. The girl told police the 20-year-old Stevenson and two other men took her and a 15-year-old friend to a motel June 6. There, she said, Stevenson and 19-year-old DeShawn Anderson gave the two girls alcohol and had consensual sex with them. Stevenson, a 6-foot-5 backup guard who went into the NBA straight from high school, faces up to three years in prison if convicted. Anderson also pleaded innocent. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Aug. 30. ... The College of Charleston again meets North Carolina as part of its 2001-2002 basketball schedule. The Cougars take on the Tar Heels on Dec. 21 as part of the Tournament of Champions in Charlotte, N.C. The College would play St. Joseph's or Georgia State -- both NCAA Tournament teams a year ago -- in the tournament on Dec. 22.

This article published in the Athens Banner-Herald on Saturday, July 7, 2001.